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[Othob Rithol]

Yeah, I am working on it right now as we are typing. The rather complex nature of the lists, and this software's "logic" at adding in missing tags almost always ends up messing up.

I'll add an entry pointing towards your post. You pointed out one of those obviously intended improvements, but obviously missing. Somewhere in the birth and editing of the list my original 3-4 paragraphs of "how I'd like it" at the very beginning got edited into 20 entries with no umph. thx.

edit: added.

My original idea of how to handle cavern generation went something like this: generate two additional terrain maps using the exact same algorithm that generates the surface (pre-erosion,water,magma). Place one at a sufficient depth that approx 2% overlaps the surface. Then place the third even deeper such that there is approx a 40% overlap between it and the middle "terrain". Both %s configurable of course at worldgen.

Then remove all tiles in the area between the 2nd and 3rd. As a result any location where the middle map broke through the top would generate a surface opening (usually straight down) and the areas where the 2nd and 3rd crossed would be caverns, with generally varied and realistically sloped sides.

A very crude example (only X and Z)


Finally run water and magma through to alter things a bit (a cave river carving a path of least resistance as it tumbles down the cavern etc) and possible a sweep for stalagmites/tites etc. Then some general smoothing and presto! You have a world-wide random network of caverns.

[zagibu]

Sounds like it could work.

[Random832]

[SirHoneyBadger]

Old-man-gator has a really brilliant idea that seems to have been overlooked:

Certain plants could absolutely depend on certain minerals, types of soil, rock types, whatever, while others would simply grow better or worse, depending on the geologic conditions, and modified by climate and moisture presence, as defined in the Raws.

If plant and fungal life/growth and diversification could be linked to the type/types of stone in a given area, as well as to climate, and if then, animals and their diversification could be linked-generally or specifically-to the types of plants in a given area, starting with vermin and moving on up, we could end up with a biosphere which actually made sense, and which might then sustain itself outside of direct Dev control.

You could then, sensically, include extremely specific plant and fungal life, such as a mushroom that will only grow on iron ore, a mold that only grows in the presence of cinnabar, or a glowing lichen that must be sown only on rocks with a high phospherous content.

Not only could these be used as identifiers as to what our miners could expect to find in an area, but such plants might validly be extracted for special substances like poisons, acids, etc.

Our dwarfs could also intentionally sow plants in an area, in an effort to attract specific vermin, or larger creatures.

Vermin-in game terms-might even spawn from certain specific plants, or types of plants.

If all of this were done, it could serve to make plants-taken as a whole-absolutely vital to the game, instead of just making a few of them exploitable.

[Old-Man-Gator]

It is an idea someone else had, let me re-iterate that. The iron cap mushrooms or whatever.

I would imagine it is extrapolated loosely from the presence of life in the lightless depths of the ocean that clusters around sulfur vents and what have you.

SirHoneyBadger's seeding idea brings several crazy mega-projects almost instantly to mind and that is very dwarfy!

(Looking for a community game of Biodome-On-A-Megaloaniacal-Dwarven-Scale!)

[Faces of Mu]

Corrrrrrr! Two thumbs up to what these bright chaps said. Boggles my mind in a nice think-of-the-fantastic-surprises kind of way! Stone/metal specific plants (and hopefully more above and below ground plants generally), two thumbs up.

[SirHoneyBadger]

Well, even if it's not your original idea, Old Man Gator, it's a good idea, and you were kind enough to bring it up.

I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without it, so you're due credit.

[Othob Rithol]

A simple entry concerning flora unique to specific stones/ores with unique properties is in order, however I Would not be willing to go into any more detail than that in the main list. What you are talking about here is a major addition beyond the initial scope of UD.

edit: placed the discussion pointer on SirHB's post about OGM's idea instead of original post. The discussion does not really begin until there, and SHB gives credit where due.

[SirHoneyBadger]

Yes, you're right.

I was thinking about just making a whole new thread for it-and probably will, unless Old Man Gator would like to?-but it does include both aspects of the underground, and diversity, so while it's a bit O(ver the scope of the)-T(opic), I thought I'd post it anyway.

I appreciate you making a mention of it in the OP, though.

[Osmosis Jones]

A novel solution to cave generation utilising existing code? Brilliant!

Substrate specific flora? Brilliant!


(Can you guess the reference?)

[Foa]

It is an idea someone else had, let me re-iterate that. The iron cap mushrooms or whatever.

I would imagine it is extrapolated loosely from the presence of life in the lightless depths of the ocean that clusters around sulfur vents and what have you.

SirHoneyBadger's seeding idea brings several crazy mega-projects almost instantly to mind and that is very dwarfy!

(Looking for a community game of Biodome-On-A-Megaloaniacal-Dwarven-Scale!)

Harvester Plants?

It'd sound great, and really hard to obtain the needed amounts of said economic stone that is nearby.

Where tectonic plates meet in a volcanic pool

According to search, tectonics hasn't been mentioned yet. It's more something for worldgen, but it would be great if future earthquakes etc. weren't random. It would also cause a lot of related features to occur close together in a small area, which causes interesting configurations to happen, as in the above example.

Dude, tectonic shifting has been disproved many years ago, and the scientists of the field don't want to throw away many decades of work.

One, how can the plates float around like they are- well, floating.
Two, how can India magically grow two massive RAM rockets powered by the Earth's core, and fly to Asia and still have the force to make the Himalayas, to this day?
Three, the ocean floors are way younger than the above sea level crust.

Therefore the lands are expanding, and when something is stretched unevenly, there'll be wrinkles ( Mountains ) and ripping ( Valleys, Oceans ) .

[Silverionmox]

Where tectonic plates meet in a volcanic pool

According to search, tectonics hasn't been mentioned yet. It's more something for worldgen, but it would be great if future earthquakes etc. weren't random. It would also cause a lot of related features to occur close together in a small area, which causes interesting configurations to happen, as in the above example.

Dude, tectonic shifting has been disproved many years ago, and the scientists of the field don't want to throw away many decades of work.

One, how can the plates float around like they are- well, floating.
Two, how can India magically grow two massive RAM rockets powered by the Earth's core, and fly to Asia and still have the force to make the Himalayas, to this day?
Three, the ocean floors are way younger than the above sea level crust.

Therefore the lands are expanding, and when something is stretched unevenly, there'll be wrinkles ( Mountains ) and ripping ( Valleys, Oceans ) .

You know that sarcasm works unreliably on the internet, right?

[Sinergistic]

You know that sarcasm works unreliably on the internet, right?

Should have been obvious for two reasons:

One: Foa.
Two: RAM Rockets powered by the earths core.

[Cheshire Cat]

pssshhh. plate tectonics. everyone knows the earth is flat. next you will be telling me all this sediment we have everywhere came from something other then a flood 6000 years ago.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(disclaimer: i love church peoples, most of my freinds are quite devout. i have no objection to religion. just stupid irrational arguments. lets nobody derail the thread by getting all zealous and angry.)

[Techhead]

The Earth is not flat. It's a dodecahedron. It only looks flat because you're on a single face of it.